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Yes lovely shy playful Otters or are they ? I have frequently seen Otters and they have come within a couple of metres of me at times and of course they are generally shy and will quickly disappear as soon as one moves. I always thought they did little harm taking a few fish, birds eggs, and often the hated Red Signal Crayfish, so all in all they kind of balanced things out. But what I have witnessed lately is beginning to change my views. It is probably one particular dog Otter located along the Bure near Wroxham but it does travel 3 or 4 miles in both direction sometimes accompanied by a smaller female, it is taking now Egyptian geese and ducks on quite a regular basis and has been videoed doing so. Some might say well that's okay as they needed thinning out and that could possibly be the case, I don't know, but many birds are now becoming thin on the ground so to speak in certain areas. But what happened next quite shocked me as when I was watching these Otters over the weekend, when the large dog Otter actually left the water and tried to get hold of my dog and it really meant business. The dog is a small elderly Terrier and was on the lead next to me, but this Otter wasn't bothered and I had to jump at the Otter and shout to make it turn back, otherwise I am not quite sure what would have happened. I can see this Otter taking a small dog in the future especially if swimming as it wouldn't take a lot for one of these powerful beasts to drown a small dog. I don't know whether this particular Otter has turned rogue, but I have started to see them in a new light anyway.

While walking on Hembsy beach, I witnessed three dogs circling, then attacking, a young seal. Had I not intervened, they would have, undoubtedly, pulled it to pieces. The dogs' owner was quite annoyed with me!

"..for the avoidance of any doubt, the broads are not legally a national park and do not come under the national park legislation, and nor will they."Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for DEFRA (Hansard 2015)

I know it's been said before but there are few coots about this season, in all honesty I haven't seen one all season. And before you get on my case I'm not saying there are none just that I haven't seen any not a one!!!!

I have long defended the Otter but have no doubt that they are responsible for a big decline in the waterfowl and whilst big birds like the Swans and some geese seem to see to be immune from their attacks, smaller birds like Coots, Mallards and such seem to have taken a big hiding. Speaking to a chap that works in a boatyard by the river and used to regularly feed the waterfowl on his slip way and he says he doesn't bother anymore as a pair of Otters have cleared to lot out and the only thing that comes to feed now are the Gulls. I also spoke to a chap who is very up on wildlife and he reckons initially the otter didn't bother the waterfowl much but over time their habits have changed and many have now developed a taste for ducks, the adult birds their chicks and eggs, hence their decline. You can also notice a big change in some waterfowls habits and their reluctance to use the main rivers, often preferring some dirty little stagnant pond out of the way. Should we be surprised when Eels were always considered the Otters main food source ?

Not at all scientific research but I cannot say that I have noticed a big decline in the numbers. Even if there has been this is nature rebalancing itself without human interference. Before mankind removed Otters from various waterways they would have caught whatever prey that they are taking now. So if as some suggest coot numbers are lower than in recent times, it will be because they were artificially high before the indigenous fauna of the area made a comeback. As ever we are best to leave well alone and let nature decide natural issues. Nature has a lot more experience in the field than we humans, and therefore does a way better job than we can ever hope to.

No shortage of coots if you look in the right places; try a trip up to the Trinity Broads and you’ll see hundreds, or take a kayak off the main river through into the flood lagoons. As for the otters, pah, blame the increase in swans fir chasing the ducks away!

No shortage of coots if you look in the right places; try a trip up to the Trinity Broads and you’ll see hundreds, or take a kayak off the main river through into the flood lagoons. As for the otters, pah, blame the increase in swans fir chasing the ducks away!